Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United meet in North London on Sunday afternoon having both recorded a win and a defeat from their opening two Premier League fixtures.
While Spurs recorded a ruthless 5-2 win at Southampton, Newcastle's three points came from a 2-0 victory at West Ham United on the first weekend of the campaign.
Match preview
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Having found themselves being troubled by Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Skendija 79 in the Europa League, it is clear that Spurs are far from firing on all cylinders at this stage of the season.
Nevertheless, adding the success at Southampton to the list, Jose Mourinho has now witnessed his side record three successive wins in all competitions.
Although there will naturally be concerns regarding the development of his team, the Portuguese will be impressed with the character of his players at a time when the games continue to come thick and fast.
Spurs are having to rely on the contributions of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, who have scored eight of their last 10 goals since the beginning of the season.
However, with Gareth Bale still a few weeks away from making his debut, Mourinho will be delighted with the reaction from two players who are not used to competition for places.
Steve Bruce is hoping for the same reaction at Newcastle with the likes of Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson looking to hold down a place in the final third.
The presence of the former Bournemouth duo will have led to Miguel Almiron and Joelinton recognising that they are no longer guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup.
Although they netted three of Newcastle's seven goals against Morecambe in the EFL Cup, they may have to bide their time before getting back into the side.
Bruce is under more pressure to find a solution at the back after witnessing the Magpies succumb to a tame 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
With some tough-looking fixtures around the corner, the stakes are high as the North-East outfit look to replicate their success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the beginning of last season.
Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form: LW
Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions): LWWW
Newcastle United Premier League form: WL
Newcastle United form (all competitions): WWLW
Team News
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Despite his return to the starting lineup in midweek, Dele Alli is expected to drop back down to the replacements.
Hugo Lloris, Matt Doherty, Eric Dier, Giovani Lo Celso, Lucas Moura and Kane should all come back into the first XI.
Bale remains absent with a knee injury, but Sergio Reguilon make may the substitutes' bench if he overcomes an ankle sprain.
Newcastle boss Bruce has cast doubt over the availability of Jamal Lewis and Allan Saint-Maximin.
Lewis suffered an eye injury during the closing stages against Brighton, while Saint-Maximin sustained an ankle problem during the same fixture.
Matt Ritchie could have to deputise at left-back.
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Winks, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso; Moura, Kane, Son
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Darlow; Manquillo, Lascelles, Fernandez, Ritchie; Hendrick, Shelvey, Hayden, Fraser; Carroll, Wilson
We say: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Newcastle United
Having scored seven goals at Morecambe, Newcastle will be confident of netting more strikes against an inconsistent Spurs backline. However, the home side are beginning to click into gear in the final third, and we expect a comfortable home win for the North Londoners.
Top betting tip
Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:dataVideo prediction
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